The present invention generally relates to a filter cloth travelling type filter press including a plurality of filter plates each formed with a slurry hole and a plurality of filter cloths interposed in pairs between adjacent ones of the filter plates, in which the filter cloths are caused to travel upwardly and downwardly with respect to the filter plates and more particularly, to a slurry feeding device for use in the filter cloth travelling type filter press, by which slurry to be filtered is fed from either one of the slurry holes of a pair of the adjacent filter plates into a filter chamber formed between a pair of the filter cloths, with the filter plates being clamped to each other.
Conventionally, in filter presses of the above described type, it has been so arranged that filter cloths are interposed in pairs between adjacent filter plates and a slurry feeding plate is disposed between each pair of the filter cloths. The slurry feeding plate of one-piece construction is formed with a through-hole communicated with a slurry feed opening in each of the filter cloths and is, further, provided with a feed passage extending downwardly from the through-hole and having an open lower end. Thus, after the adjacent filter plates are clamped to each other so as to secure the slurry feeding plate between each pair of the adjacent filter plates, slurry to be filtered is fed from either one of the slurry holes of a pair of the adjacent filter plates into the filter chamber formed by a pair of the filter cloths therebetween through a corresponding either one of the slurry feed openings of each pair of the filter cloths, the through-hole of the slurry feeding plate and the feed passage of the slurry feeding plate.
However, the prior art slurry feeding plate has a drawback that, since it is structurally difficult to wash the slurry feeding plate, especially the feed passage, slurry remains in the through-hole and the feed passage even after washing thereof, thereby resulting in clogging of the feed passage. Furthermore, the known slurry feeding plate has a drawback that, since the slurry feeding plate is of one-piece construction, it is difficult to clean the clogged feed passage. Moreover, the known slurry feeding plate has been disadvantageous in that, since the slurry feeding plate is of one-piece construction, the filter cloths attached to opposite sides of the slurry feeding plate are likely to be wrinkled, and assembly and replacement of the slurry feeding plate is extremely troublesome.